Turkmenistan is realizing a number of important transport projects in the western part of the country, aimed at improving connectivity within the country, as well as on a regional scale and within the framework of overall connectivity in Eurasia along the North-South route directions.
On 2 November 2025, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, visiting the Balkan province, led the groundbreaking ceremony for the Turkmenbashi–Garabogaz section of the Turkmenbashi–Garabogaz–Kazakhstan border highway. The ceremony also opened the bridge over the Garabogazköl Bay, located along the route of this highway.
The road bridge over the Garabogazköl Bay was built by Turkmen builders in cooperation with the company “Altcom”. The total length of the bridge is 354 meters. Its width with two spans and two traffic lanes is 21 meters, and the total length of the approach roads is 2,000 meters.
The Turkmenbashi–Garabogaz section of the Turkmenbashi–Garabogaz–Kazakhstan border highway, with a total length of 207 kilometers, will extend from the city of Turkmenbashi to the road bridge over the Garabogaz Bay, then to the roundabout in the area of the “Garabogazkarbamid” plant, and will reach the state border with Kazakhstan.
The road will consist of four traffic lanes. The width of the roadbed will be 27.5 meters, the width of the carriageway – 7.5 meters on each side, the width of the traffic lane – 3.75 meters.
For safety purposes, traffic lanes will be separated by a dedicated concrete barrier, with additional barriers installed along both sides of the roadway.
The road surface will be constructed in multiple layers. Above the leveled and compacted soil base, the following materials will be sequentially applied: a geotextile membrane; a 30 cm layer of coarse gravel-sand mixture; a 20 cm layer of fine gravel-sand mixture; an 8 cm layer of cellular coarse-grained hot asphalt concrete; a 7 cm layer of dense coarse-grained hot asphalt concrete; and finally, a 5 cm layer of dense fine-grained hot asphalt concrete, which will be compacted to complete the surface.
The highway’s capacity is 580 vehicles per hour and 14,000 vehicles per day.
Along the road, it is planned to build 8 bus stops, as well as parking lots, gas stations, and social facilities.
Entrances and exits to the highway will be equipped with video surveillance equipment with a data storage server.
Significance of the New Facilities
“The new bridge and highway will significantly increase the volume of cargo turnover, transport, and passenger traffic between the western and northern regions of the country, as well as with neighboring countries. It will also contribute to increasing cargo turnover through the Turkmenbashi International Seaport,” the President noted in his speech at the ceremony.
The Turkmenbashi-Garabogaz-Kazakhstan border highway is part of the Central Asian road system connecting Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. It should also be noted that this route is one of the segments of international transport corridors running along the North-South route.
These routes can attract carriers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and India, allowing them to reach the countries of Northern and Western Europe by sea, rail, and road transport.
In addition, improved connectivity creates favorable conditions for local businesses to conduct cross-border trade with neighboring countries. ///nCa, 3 November 2025